JOINING US NOW, ECONOMIC POLICY
ANALYST FOR THE AMERICAN
ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE.
JAMES IN YOUR LATEST PIECE YOU
WARN CLOSING SCHOOLS HAS BEEN
FAR MORE DAMAGING TO STUDENTS
THAN WE THOUGHT, ESPECIALLY
LOW-INCOME SCHOOLS.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN?
>> YEAH, I THINK THERE’S BEEN A
TREMENDOUS UNDERAPPRECIATION OF
HOW BAD IT IS WHEN KIDS DON’T GO
TO SCHOOL.
AND YOU CAN SAY, WELL, THEY DID
VIRTUAL LEARNING.
BUT AS MORE RESEARCH HAS COME
OUT AND IN THE PIECE I WRITE
ABOUT A STUDY IN THE NETHERLANDS
WHERE, WHICH HAS GREAT BROADBAND
PENETRATION.
THE LOCKDOWNS WEREN’T AS SEVERE.
GOVERNMENT DID A GREAT JOB
MAKING SURE KIDS HAD ALL THE
TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT THEY NEEDED.
WHAT THAT STUDY FOUND WAS KIDS
DIDN’T LEARN.
KIDS DIDN’T LEARN ANYTHING.
UPPER INCOME KIDS DID A LITTLE
BETTER.
LOWER INCOME KIDS DID FAR, FAR
WORSE.
THEY REGRESSED TREMENDOUSLY.
AND DURING THIS ENTIRE DEBATE,
SINCE LAST MARCH, WE HAVE UNDER
APPRECIATED THAT JUST VIRTUAL
LEARNING, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNGER
KIDS, IS REALLY TANTAMOUNT TO
THOSE KIDS NOT GOING TO SCHOOL.
AND LONG TERM, THERE’S ONE THING
EVEN ECONOMIC RESEARCH AGREES ON
IS KIDS NOT GOING TO SCHOOL,
MISSING MONTHS IF NOT A YEAR OF
SCHOOL IS TREMENDOUSLY DAMAGING
TO THEM.
>> JUST BECAUSE THERE’S VIRTUAL
SCHOOL DOESN’T MEAN THERE’S
VIRTUAL LEARNING.
DOESN’T MEAN IT’S NOT HAPPENING.
CAN YOU MAKE SURE WE’RE NOT
EQUIPPING AMERICAN STUDENTS WITH
THE MATERIALS AND SUPPORT THEY
NEED TO LEARN AT HOME.
COMPARE THAT TO WHAT WE’VE SEEN
IN OTHER COUNTRIES.
YOU WERE JUST TOUCHING ON IT BUT
THE EQUIPMENT, WHETHER IT’S THE
IPADS, THE CHROMEBOOKS, EVEN
FAST WIFI.
WE DON’T HAVE THAT HERE.
>> I’M NOT SURE THAT IS
REALLY -- THAT’S REALLY EVEN
GOING TO MATTER.
IF WE WERE ABLE TO GET THESE
KIDS -- I USE THE EXAMPLE OF THE
NETHERLANDS WHERE THEY DID THAT.
THEY GOT THE KIDS.
EVERYBODY HAD FAST BROADBAND AND
LAPTOP AND ALL THAT STUFF AND IT
STILL WORKED POORLY.
THAT IS, I THINK, IMPORTANT AND
IF WE’RE NOT GOING TO SEND KIDS
TO SCHOOL, YOU CERTAINLY WANT
THAT, BUT THAT PALES IN
COMPARISON TO ACTUALLY GETTING
KIDS IN THE CLASSROOM.
LISTEN, I’VE LIVED IN THIS
COUNTRY SINCE THE PANDEMIC.
SO HAVE YOU.
I DO NOT RECALL ANY POLITICIAN
SAYING WE MUST MOVE HEAVEN AND
EARTH AND SIMPLY POLITICIANS,
TEACHERS UNIONS, TO MAKE SURE
KIDS GO TO SCHOOL AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE IN PERSON.
TOTAL LACK OF CREATIVITY.
WE CAN SAY WE NEED HUNDREDS OF
BILLIONS.
THERE’S BEEN AN UTTER LACK OF
CREATIVEITY TO GET KIDS INTO
SCHOOL WHETHER THAT MEANS
REOPENING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
AGREEMENTS SO TEACHERS HAVE MORE
FLEXIBILITY.
WE’VE NOT DONE THAT AS A NATION.
WE’VE FAILED AS A NATION.
>> AMEN.
I’VE GOT A 14-YEAR-OLD IN
VIRTUAL SCHOOL RIGHT NOW AND I
CAN PROMISE YOU, WITHOUT ME
STANDING OVER HIM, WHICH I’M NOT
BECAUSE I’M A WORKING PARENT,
HE’S NOT PAYING ATTENTION, AND
THE TEACHERS CAN’T FORCE THEM TO
WHILE THEY ARE SITTING IN THEIR
BEDROOMS.
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
HOW DO WE CONTROL THE VIRUS AND
KEEP KIDS IN SCHOOL?
>> WELL, THAT’S A PROBLEM.
FOR A LOT OF PARENTS, THE VIRUS
SEEMED FOR AWHILE THAT WE WERE
GETTING A HANDLE ON IT.
IT BECAME FAR EASIER TO MAKE
THESE DECISIONS.
EVEN BACK THEN OVER THE SUMMER,
THE FOCUS WAS ON, FIRST, WE NEED
TO GET ALL THIS MONEY AND
FUNDING BEFORE WE CAN THINK
ABOUT DOING ANYTHING.
THERE IS A LACK OF EFFORT.
NOW THE VIRUS SEEMS TO BE RAGING
OUT OF CONTROL, ALL THOSE
DECISIONS BECOME MUCH MORE
DIFFICULT.
AS DR. TORRES SAID, THESE
SCHOOLS DO NOT SEEM TO BE THE
PROBLEM.
SO I -- LISTEN, AGAIN, IT GETS A
LOT HARDER IN THE WINTER, BUT WE
NEED TO GET THESE KIDS BACK TO
SCHOOL.
WE CANNOT SAY, WAIT UNTIL THE
VACCINES.
WAIT UNTIL THE VACCINES,
EVERYBODY IS ALL VACCINED UP AND
WE’LL START.
HAVE WE TALKED ABOUT SENDING THE
KIDS TO SCHOOL OVER THE SUMMER?
I HAVEN’T HEARD THAT.
WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO BE
CONSIDERING THAT.
>> 100%.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT
ON PARENTS.
IN SEPTEMBER, OVER A MILLION
PEOPLE LEFT THE WORKFORCE.
MORE THAN 80% OF THOSE PEOPLE
WERE WOMEN.
AND I TALKED TO PARENTS EVERY
DAY WHO ARE PANIC STRICKEN ABOUT
THE IDEA THAT THEIR KIDS ARE
GOING TO COME BACK HOME.
WHAT IS THAT GOING TO DO TO
PARENTS, WORKING PARENTS,
ESPECIALLY MOTHERS IF WE GO TO
ALL VIRTUAL LEARNING THIS
WINTER?
>> THIS SORT OF INFURIATES ME.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS
PEOPLE SAY, ALL YOU CARE -- ALL
YOU GUYS CARE ABOUT IS THE
ECONOMY.
ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS THE --
THIS IS THE LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY
FOR CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY
DISADVANTAGED KIDS.
IT’S RIGHT NOW FOR THOSE PARENTS
WHOSE DIFFICULT JOB HAS GOTTEN
FAR MORE DIFFICULT.
WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS
TRADEOFFS.
AND THE POLICYMAKERS HAVE NOT
FOCUSED ON THE TRADEOFFS.
WE’VE FOCUSED A LOT ABOUT THE
HEALTH ASPECT.
I THINK WE NEED TO FOCUS A BIT
MORE ABOUT THE ASPECTS OF
PEOPLE’S WORKING LIVES AND THE
OPPORTUNITY FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
>> AMEN TO THAT.